Shaker It Off – Bergamot-Meyer Lemon Shaker Tart

Originally posted February 18, 2015

I’m not sure what it is about bergamot that gets me all in a tizzy every year. Maybe it’s my longstanding love of Earl Grey tea and it’s underlying bergamot citrus notes, the fact that bergamot oranges are in season for such a short period of time that if you blink they’re gone, or that they have a downright refreshing flavor. Whatever it is, suffice to say that I’m crazy about bergamot, I’m going to share some recipes that highlight what’s so great about them and there’s absolutely nothing you can do about it!

Long time readers may remember that I’ve posted about my obsession with this floral orange/lemon hybrid fruit in the past, usually discussing how they can be used in cakes. We’ll be moving on from cakes over the coming weeks and into the realm of tarts and pies. I often pair bergamot oranges with pastries because they have such lovely floral notes and their tartness so nicely compliments flaky crusts, tender cakes and luscious whipped creams.

So first thing’s first: Immediately call up your local specialty grocer and ask if they still have bergamot oranges available. The season generally runs from late December through February, so get on it quickly! If you live in the East Bay, check in with Berkeley Bowl and Monterey Market (which is where I picked up mine), while chances are good that Rainbow Grocery in San Francisco may still be carrying them.

After procuring your produce, set aside the one bergamot needed for the following recipe. Zest whatever remains of your bergamot and place the zest in a small ziplock bag or tupperware container. Put the zest in the freezer until you’re ready to use it in your next recipe that includes bergamot or any kind of citrus zest. Juice and strain all of the now-zested bergamots and freeze the juice. Now you’ll be set for the coming weeks’ recipes!

Today’s dessert is based off an odd little double crusted tart I made while baking pastries at Camino in Oakland. Traditionally made, a Shaker Lemon Tart is a single or double crusted dessert that’s filled with whole slices of Eureka lemons or their smaller, slightly sweeter and more fragrant relatives, Meyer lemons.

I find this dessert to be a challenging eat – not in the sense that it’s hard to make, doesn’t taste great or is just too weird. It’s challenging because it pushes the limits of what’s currently accepted as “dessert fare” and incorporates so many different taste experiences in one slice, ranging from a savory pastry crust, tart citrus juices, hint of bitterness from using the whole citrus fruit, a sweet and almost custardy filling and the creaminess of an accompanying dollop of whipped cream. Add on to that the slices of citrus in the tart take on the texture of candied lemon or orange peel when baked, and you’ve got a dessert that lemon lovers will drool over and adventurous eaters will have on their minds for days to come.

In the past I’ve filled my Shaker Tarts solely with Meyer lemons, but today I’m mixing it up by throwing in one half of a bergamot orange. Why not fill the Shaker Tart solely with bergamot oranges, you may be asking yourself? This variety of citrus is so overwhelmingly floral that the result would not only be a tart that straight-up tastes like perfume, but it would also be pretty bitter as bergamot tends to have a thicker pith than do Meyer lemons.

Returning to my love for Earl Grey tea, I topped my Shaker Tart with a black tea-infused whipped cream to round out the flavors. This dessert is equally enjoyable paired with a traditional vanilla whipped cream.

So off we go! Make sure to macerate your lemons and bergamot overnight before filling and baking the tart, and I’d also recommend infusing the whipping cream and making the pastry dough the day before baking and serving your dessert.

Meyer Lemon- Bergamot Shaker Tart
Recipe adapted from Anya Fernald

Ingredients:

The Filling:

1/2 bergamot
2 Meyer lemons
2 cups sugar
3 eggs
3 tablespoons flour
6 tablespoons melted butter

The Pastry Crust:

4 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1 tablespoon granulated sugar, separated
12 ounces butter, chilled
1 cup ice water
3 tablespoons heavy whipping cream

The Black Tea Whipped Cream:

1 cup heavy whipping cream
1/2 oz black tea (Darjeeling or Vanilla scented)
3 tablespoons sugar, or to taste

Macerate the citrus:

Wash the Meyer lemons and bergamot orange. Place them in the freezer for between 10 and 15 minutes. Remove from the freezer and use a mandolin or a very sharp knife to slice the ends off of the citrus and discard. Continue slicing 1/8″ thick rounds of citrus, picking out any seeds you come across as you go. Place the slices in a glass bowl and sprinkle the sugar on them evenly. Gently mix the sugar and citrus together, cover in plastic wrap, and refrigerate over night.

Make the crust:

To prepare the pastry crust, cut the butter into small cubes and place in the freezer for 15 minutes. Fill a measuring cup with one cup of ice, then pour cold water over it until the liquid reaches the one cup mark. Place the water in the refrigerator until you’re ready to use it. Toss the flour, 1 1/2 teaspoons sugar and salt together in a large glass or metal bowl. Place the chilled pieces of butter into the flour mixture. One by one, use your fingers to flatten each chunk of butter, then mix it back into the bowl of flour. Continue doing this until each piece of butter is approximately the size of a flattened garbanzo bean. Take the ice water from the refrigerator and, while holding back the ice with your fingers, sprinkle 2 tablespoons onto the flour and butter mixture. Forming your hands into the shape of claws, rake your fingers through the butter and flour mixture until the water is evenly dispersed, taking care to not over mix. Continue pouring 2 tablespoons of water over the flour mixture and raking it in by hand until you’ve added half of the water. At this point take a small handful of flour mixture, squeeze it in your fist, and check to see if it holds the shape of the inside of your hand. If it does not, add another 2 tablespoons of water and check it’s texture again after raking in the water. If it does, briefly knead the dough until it forms a ball. You probably won’t use all of the water and that’s okay. Split it into two separate and even lumps, plastic wrap each tightly and store them in the refrigerator over night.

Flavor the whipping cream:

Heat the heavy whipping cream in a small sauce pan. Turn off the heat just as it comes to a simmer. Mix in 1/2 ounce of black tea and cover with the pan’s lid or press plastic wrap down onto the surface of the infusing cream. Strain the tea out of the cream after 6 minutes. Place the cream in a tupperware or glass bowl, press plastic wrap down onto it’s surface so it doesn't form a skin, and store in the refrigerator over night.

Roll out and fill the tart:

The following day remove the dough packets from the refrigerator a half hour before rolling them. On a lightly floured surface, roll each dough packet out to 1/8 inch thick. Gently place the first pastry dough round in the bottom of a fluted tart pan or pie plate. Trim off any excess dough that hangs over the side by more than 3/4 inch. Refrigerate while you roll out the second lump of dough to 1/8 inch thick. Gently place the tart or pie plate you’ve chosen to use on top of the rolled out dough, tracing the edge of the plate with a pairing knife. Transfer the cut out round of dough to a cookie tray and refrigerate until you’re ready to seal up the tart.

Melt 6 tablespoons of butter over low heat. Sift the flour. Using a wooden spoon, mix the melted butter and eggs into the macerated citrus slices. Mix in the flour to combine. Using your hands, squeeze the citrus to release as much juice into the mixture as possible. Pour all of this into the lined tart or pie shell. Arrange the pieces of citrus so they are evenly dispersed across the bottom of the shell.

Place the smaller pastry dough round gently on top of the citrus mixture and using a paring knife, cut 6 small holes in the center of the pastry dough to let hot air escape while baking. Using a pastry brush, brush a thin layer of heavy whipping cream onto the smaller pastry round. Fold the edges of the bottom pastry dough over to seal the edge between it and the smaller pastry round. Brush the folded-over edges of dough with heavy whipping cream, and sprinkle the top of the entire tart with the remaining 1 1/2 teaspoons of sugar.

Bake it:

Cover and refrigerate unless you plan to bake it immediately. When you’re ready to bake the tart, preheat the oven to 425°. Bake for 30 minutes, then decrease the temperature to 350° and bake for another 20 to 30 minutes, or until the top of the tart is golden brown.

Serve it:

While the tart is cooling, whip the black tea-infused cream using a stand mixer fixed with a whisk attachment, a hand mixer with whisk attachments, or by hand. When the cream starts to thicken, gradually add in the granulated sugar, then continue whisking until soft peaks form. Taste for sweetness, and add additional sugar to taste.

Eat it:

Enjoy this very unusual treat!